Mouth guards help keep your smile healthy and strong. Whether you play contact sports or grind your teeth at night, a custom-fitted mouth guard from Dr. Alex Cox will help prevent damage to your teeth. Learn more about mouth guards at Scarsdale Smiles below, or contact us now to get a consultation in Scarsdale.
Dr. Cox has extensive experience with mouthguards
Our welcoming office and team will make you feel right at home
With early cleanings and maintenance, you can prevent your children suffering from cavities
Guard your smile during contact sports
As the name implies, mouth guards are designed to protect your mouth, specifically your teeth. They are custom-fitted to your teeth to cover them up and protect them from damage. There are two primary types of mouth guards provided by dentists like Dr. Alex Cox.
The first type is often also called a “night guard.” This type of mouth guard is specifically built to help address teeth grinding (bruxism). Teeth grinding is a parafunctional dental habit where your teeth grind and clench uncontrollably, usually at night. Over time, this can cause damage to your teeth.
Night guards use a soft interior lining of silicone plastic that’s fitted to your teeth, and a harder outer layer of plastic that prevents direct tooth-to-tooth contact. Usually, they are worn only on the upper teeth. This plastic barrier stops the teeth from grinding against each other, preventing wear & tear and helping with other bruxism-related oral health issues.
The second type is an athletic mouth guard. These mouth guards are designed to be worn by athletes playing contact sports like football, soccer, or basketball, or those who have extreme hobbies like mountain biking, skateboarding, or any other hobby where a fall could cause oral trauma.
Athletic mouthguards can be built to cover the upper teeth or both teeth, depending on the sport and the risk of damaging your teeth. Like a night guard, they use a combination of soft and hard plastics to cushion the teeth and help prevent damage due to oral trauma.
You need a mouthguard if you grind your teeth. Teeth grinding can cause premature tooth wear & tear. Over time, your teeth grind against each other and the hard outer layers of enamel are worn down, which can change the appearance of your teeth and also raise the risk of further complications like cavities. A night guard prevents this tooth-to-tooth contact, preserving your smile.
Mouth guards for sports also dramatically decrease the risk of dental injuries. A mouth guard helps spread out and dampen the trauma of a facial injury, preserving your teeth. According to ADA estimates, about 200,000 dental injuries are avoided each year because of mouth guards.
Yes. While you can get “boil and bite” over-the-counter night guards and athletic mouthguards, these may not always fit properly. At Scarsdale Smiles, Dr. Alex Cox will take impressions and images of your smile using advanced dental tools.
This information will be used to create a night guard or athletic mouth guard that fits into your mouth perfectly, providing proper protection while remaining comfortable. Contact us now to schedule a consultation and get the protection you need.
.png)
.png)
.png)
